WESTMINSTER – An autopsy of the body of the New York woman found in the Saxtons River on Monday confirmed she had drowned, Vermont state police said Thursday.
The death of Erika Greber Seyfried, 36, of Brooklyn, was declared accidental by the Vermont Chief Medical Examiner’s Office, police said. Seyfried, a Penguin Random House executive, and her husband were on vacation in the village of Gageville when she disappeared on a walk with her puppy.
State Police also reported that police and family members found the body of the missing seven-month-old golden retriever named Jules on Wednesday afternoon. Seyfried had walked the dog on Sunday morning, the last time she was seen. Police believe the puppy also drowned.
Seyfried and her husband Elijah were staying at an Airbnb run by local businessman Bob Ross, located next to the Saxtons River and a short distance from the pool where Seyfried’s body was found on Monday afternoon . The Airbnb listing, which has since been withdrawn, mentioned the river and nearby pools, saying they were perfect for swimming.
Police said the dog’s body was found in the same area as Seyfried’s.
Earlier this week, Vermont State Police Captain Matt Daley, chief of the Vermont State Police Dive Team, said police, along with members of the team rescue team from Rescue Inc., were able to locate Seyfried’s body using a remote control. controlled underwater camera.
The currents at Gages Mills on the river were too dangerous to send divers unless absolutely necessary, Daley said.
He said the camera located a woman’s body at the bottom of a swimming pool at the base of the falls, about 20 feet deep. He said the force of the current in that area pulled his body to the bottom of the pool.
“Obviously it was a dangerous situation,” he said.
Daley said he thinks Seyfried’s puppy fell into the water and that she tried to save him. But he stressed that it was just a guess.
He said the remote control vehicle, or ROV, was fitted with a light, so emergency personnel could see the bottom of the pool and retrieve his body.
At that time, he said, they saw no sign of the puppy, whose body was found in the same general area two days later with the help of the senior investigator in charge of the case. and a State Police Victim Services Specialist.
Seyfried, originally from Ohio with her husband Elijah, attended Wilmington College of Ohio, where the couple met, according to Don Edwards, a family friend who worked with Eli Seyfried’s mother at a local newspaper, the Record Herald, several years ago. Seyfried was working for the New York publishing house shortly after graduating from college, and the company released a statement this week. “We are devastated by the loss of our colleague … who has established herself as a leader in marketing through innovative digital campaigns. she developed for our books, ”Penguin Random House said in a statement. “His reader-centric approach to consumers, his social media prowess, and tireless support of our writers have earned him reverence throughout our business and industry. she led, Erika was the embodiment of what we all hope for in a colleague and friend. Our hearts go out to Erika’s family, loved ones and our colleagues who worked with and adored her.
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